Leap Year
by shamanhearts
Summary: Set in the Edo period, Hao thought he had just befriended a girl who was different from everyone else, but after a series of strange events that followed, he soon found himself at an unexpected end.. AU, HaoxOC.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Herpderp, have another fic. Sorry, I haven't been in the mood to update Masquerade for quite a while. But I feel bad because it's been months since I last published something, so here, have a Hao/OC AU mini-series (it'll consist of a few short chapters)! It's set in the Edo period in Japan, which is the samurai era, I think. I guess, until I get my Masquerade-inspiration back, I'll have to make do with publishing mini-series and/or one-shots like this one; I don't want anyone to think I'm dead or anything. Please, I love you all too much!**

**A little info on my OC, I suppose? Nawako comes from the Japanese word "ushinawa", which means "lost". I guess you'll see why I gave her that name in the later chapters. She's one of those last-minute OCs of mine. xD**

**FYI, this fic isn't a romance fic. I mean, of course there will be some tints of romance here and there, but I have a reason for that! I hope it's a good one, though. I'll explain this in the last chapter, for sure. Other than that, this fic is mainly focused on hurt/comfort, aaaand a little bit of friendship, I suppose.**

**That will be all. Um. I do not own Shaman King. Yeah. Happy reading!**

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**( Prologue )**

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The first cries of a baby rang through the wooden walls of the teahouse. Heavy panting echoed. The prayers of an old Buddhist monk followed, and in the background, soft murmurs could be heard. There were people discussing about something impatiently, as if their lives were at stake here, and they were lucky their teahouse was such a large building; at least the baby's cries would not disturb the peace of the night outside.

"What should we do?" an old lady questioned hastily, as if she was in a state of panic. "It is the leap year, is it not? _What should we do_?"

"Nothing," a much older man – seated right beside the lady – responded simply. His face was devoid of emotion, even as he continued to stare at the wailing baby before him. "We will just have to make do with this child. She is the only one."

"No!" the lady snapped, although her voice was still no louder than a whisper. "We cannot keep her! She will only bring us bad luck and misfortune." She lifted her head and shook her head slowly as she scanned the large, spacious room they were in. "We cannot afford to let our business fall. We have to do all we can to survive."

The man nodded. He understood completely what his wife meant. They were running a teahouse business, and the teahouse they were in at that moment was a place that served both shelter and entertainment to countless number of samurai almost every single day. One's worries would vanish almost immediately once he stepped inside the fancy little inn-like store, and anyone could feel almost completely at ease. Unlike the teahouse, however, the outside world was filled with blood and terror. There was a war between the shogunate and a rebellious samurai clan, and anyone found wandering the streets alone would be brutally murdered by either party. Home also provided shelter for the innocent residents, but what about their jobs? Everyone wanted to live through their poverty and strife, so naturally they needed the money and resources. It was a rough time for most of these people, but the situation could have been worst. They all had no choice but to bear with it until the very end, if there was ever going to be one.

The old man, however, wasn't bothered by the war, or his business; there was something more important for him to worry about.

"What are we going to do with the girl, then?" He frowned. "We cannot just abandon her."

The Buddhist monk, who had long finished his prayers and had been listening to the couple's conversation, couldn't help but flash them a warm smile, upon hearing those words. "Perhaps I can be of help," he began, as he turned to fix his gaze on the baby. "You can leave the baby with me. I shall find someone who will be willing to adopt her as their own. Until then, she can come and live at the monastery with us."

The elderly couple slowly turned to face each other, the doubtful looks clearly visible on their faces. Then, they turned to the young lady lying on the tatami mat before them; a large and thick cloth covered her from waist-down, and it was severely stained with thick blood. The young lady was panting slowly to catch her breath, and she was almost completely wet and sticky with sweat. She wasn't unconscious, though, and had been able to catch the monk's every word. Then, in her weakened state, the lady managed enough strength to nod her head. She didn't say a word, but everyone knew that she had agreed to the monk's generous offer to look after her own child.

"...Very well, then," the old man said. "We will entrust you with this baby. We trust you will take good care of her, and give her a better environment to live in." The man took the baby from his wife and, almost reluctantly, handed it to the monk, who nodded as he took the baby girl in his hands, eyeing her with the most observant eyes. She had already stopped crying by now, and she produced a yawn as she stretched nimbly. Clad in only a small stained towel, the baby looked beautiful, and managed to dazzle those surrounding her with her innocent charm. It was unfortunate how her charm could do nothing to prevent her separation from her family, however.

"I promise," the monk began, smiling. He couldn't take his eyes off the girl. "I promise to do as you say. This girl may be deemed unlucky, but I strongly believe that she will bring _more_ than just misfortune."

The elderly couple turned to each other again; the lady's eyes only narrowed suspiciously this time.

"Please," she said suddenly, turning away so she wouldn't have to face the monk. "Don't ever bring her back. We wish to have nothing to do with her any more after this."

The monk couldn't help but snicker. "We will ensure that we erase all ties she has with you," he assured her, and almost immediately, the old lady finally relaxed and sighed in relief.

"We will see this child grow," the monk continued. "And we shall teach her the ways of living in honour."

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**A/N: Wow, you could tell this was a little rushed. I think I added some unnecessary details, but oh well. That's the prologue for you guys! There was something I wanted to say here, but I guess I forgot. Aha! I don't expect anyone to read this fic, but I still want it to be on this site, anyway.**

**Thank you for taking the time to read this, even if you didn't enjoy it. I don't like this prologue chapter, either. orz So, yeah. Oh, sorry for any mistakes as well!**

**- A**


	2. One

**A/N: Don't own Shaman King, yadayadayada. This chapter's a little on the boring side. Before you start this one, you might want to know that 1) a geisha is a hostess trained to entertain men - mostly samurai - which leads to the fact that they often have to work the whole night, etc. They're not prostitutes, so don't panic. The geisha in this chapter is probably taking a day (or night) off; I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote this fic. 2) A maiko is the geisha's trainee.**

**Enjoy. I apologise in advance for any mistakes!**

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**( O n e )**

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"Good evening, Nawako. It is refreshing to see your face again after a whole day of work," the geisha greeted as she fixed her gaze on her own reflection in the mirror. With her long and delicate fingers, she carefully pulled out her heavy hairpins, before placing them neatly on the dressing table before her. The ends of her lips curved slightly as she admired them. "What do you wish to eat tonight?"

"Nothing," a much younger girl replied. Her voice was smooth, but soft. Unlike the geisha, the girl Nawako was still in her teen years, and her long ebony hair seemed to hide most of the admirable features on her face. Nawako seemed to be in a daze; she was staring at the wooden floor, but her mind was surely somewhere else. It nearly made her look like a ghost, if not for her white robes and pale skin. "I do not wish to eat, Mother," she added.

The geisha stopped fiddling with her robes, and only stared at the girl through her reflection in the mirror. "Why not?" she frowned. "It is your birthday today, Nawako. Have you forgotten?"

Nawako shifted in her seat and shook her head. "That is not important," she responded calmly. "Let the day pass as usual, Mother. Use the money and resources for something else."

The older lady turned and took a good look at her daughter. _What was she thinking_? The lady was a geisha who was often called in by various tea houses due to popular demand, and her husband was a samurai renowned in not only Edo, but also in all of Nihon. Both adults were highly respected and well-paid. They were not poor, and they were definitely not suffering from any economic crisis, so what was Nawako talking about?

The geisha continued to stare blankly at her daughter, as if she was expecting Nawako to speak some more. She did; "I want to go out."

The geisha widened her eyes at the girl's sudden request. "Nawako," she began, raising her voice a little. "We've already talked about th—"

"Please, Mother," Nawako interrupted. She, too, had begun to raise her voice slightly. "I want to go out. I just want to see what the world is like, just this once. It is my birthday, so I do not wish to miss this chance at all..."

"Your father has already explained to you," the geisha nagged, her eyebrows furrowed. "The world out there is full of lies, scams; everything out there is not worth your time. As a daughter of a Fujiwara, you should already know where you stand by now. A maiden like you should not possess such a tongue and request for something that is beyond her reach."

"Even so, I still want to see it," Nawako responded sternly. She was frowning as well, and her fiery determination to have things go her way for once was burning clearly in her dark eyes. "If you and Father can go out and see the world every day and every night, then I should be given equal privilege. Besides.." The girl lowered her head, and almost instantly, her burning passion had disappeared. "This is only for one night. After tonight, I promise I will never request for your permission to go outside again."

The geisha could only stare at her daughter, appalled at her words. Nawako had a tongue so sharp that sometimes she would blurt something out without even thinking. She had a mindset that normally belonged to an aristocrat, but all her ancestors had been samurai. Only her distant relatives were aristocrats, and they have been long forgotten. The lady shook her head; _wherever did the girl get it from_? She turned back to Nawako, who was still staring sadly at the floor. The lady hesitated, and finally sighed deeply, before she gave in to the girl's words. "If you promise," she said. "But do not go too far, please. You will make me worry, otherwise."

Nawako nodded.

"None of us shall say a word about this to your father," the lady added quickly, and the girl nodded once more in agreement.

Excited, Nawako quickly got to her feet and made her way towards the main door, where she hurriedly took off her shoes, and put on another pair. This pair was still new and in good condition; Nawako was told only to wear them whenever she went outside, but her parents usually forbade her from doing that, until that night. So this was her very first time wearing her new pair of shoes. This was her very first time stepping out of the house.

Nawako slid the door open and stepped outside, before closing the door behind her. Then, with her tiny hands clinging on to the loose ends of her robes to prevent herself from tripping, the girl hurried to the nearest — and biggest — lake in the village. Nawako had always read about the lake in her books; it was a magical lake that was often visited by a couple on nights when the sky was clear. No one ever saw them, for they were invisible. Despite that, however, people would always make an effort to come to the lake on such nights, just to see if they could catch a glimpse of the ghostly couple. Rumours have it that the couple could never part from each other.

That was the good side of the story. The bad side mentioned that on such nights, the people who lived near the lake would hear cries of sorrow and pain. They were believed to be cries of the couple. Their cries would start soft and slow at first, but then, as time flew past, their cries would only get louder, and more horrific. Eventually their cries would be accompanied by deafening screams. This would go on for the entire night, and those who heard it would usually plan to move away, or end their lives, because it is said that the couple's cries were so full of sadness and anger that those who heard them could feel the couple's feelings as well. Perhaps that was why the couple died, people thought, because they were so full of sadness and anger. However, no one really knew why the couple died, or why the couple could sometimes be heard screaming.

Nawako didn't believe in all of that, however. She only wanted to take a look at the lake with her own eyes, to experience the _true_ magic of the lake. She had seen several paintings of the lake in books and scrolls, but to see the majestic landmark by herself would be a whole new experience. Not only that; she also heard that the lake was a very popular spot for watching the stars.

Nawako was pleased to find that the lake was more beautiful than she had thought it to be. She knew now that the paintings she came across were just about _nothing_ when compared to the real thing; it was so much bigger, and so much clearer. The water flowed slowly, and the bright crescent moon was reflected on the water's smooth surface. Nawako inhaled deeply and closed her eyes as a smile formed on her face. She muttered a soft prayer, thanking the gods and the great spirits above for letting her have the opportunity to be at a place such as this.

There was no one else around. When Nawako was done, she chose a spot by the bank and sat on her knees. She playfully brought a hand to the lake and felt the cool water pass her fingers, and she giggled gleefully at herself.

It wasn't long until a boy of her age appeared by her side, while she was still playing around with the water. Nawako noticed, and withdrew her hand from the lake almost immediately. She wasn't surprised there was someone beside her, though; she just didn't expect anyone to find her in such a situation — and a _silly_ one, at that. Nawako turned and looked up at the boy beside her.

Clad in thick crimson robes, the boy had long dark hair that went past even his waist. He had a slight build, and on both sides of his waist lay two swords — one of them was just as short as a plain kitchen knife. Nawako recognised them instantly; they were swords that belonged to a samurai. She elevated her gaze to catch a glimpse of the boy's face. He was staring at her blankly with his dark eyes, his lips slightly apart. Nawako didn't know what he was thinking or feeling — but she assumed he was surprised simply because he had never seen her around before.

"What are you doing here?" were the first words that escaped the boy's mouth, his gaze never once leaving that of the girl's.

Nawako cocked her head to the side and blinked. "Am I not supposed to be here?" she questioned.

The boy shook his head. "No. I mean, it is fine for you to be here," he responded. "I... I just find it unusual to find someone else sitting by this lake at this time of night. ...I thought you were a ghost." He quickly scanned the girl's countenance and gulped.

Nawako arched a brow inquisitively. "Why is that? Do people rarely come here?"

"This is where I go to when I get bored at night. I have never seen anyone else come here before."

"That is odd," Nawako commented, turning her attention back to the lake. "I thought a lot of people liked to come to this lake because of the story about the couple..."

The boy let out a casual laugh. "You are pretty outdated," he said. "People no longer believe in those old folk's tales."

He then proceeded to sit down, right next to Nawako. He smiled as he, too, fixed his gaze on the sparkling surface of the lake. He admired the natural beauty that surrounded him. He admired them all.

Nawako, on the other hand, made no move to object. She also smiled to herself, happy to find that someone else was willing to spend some time with her. She was fine with being alone, since that was how she had spent most of her life, but she liked the company of people, too. She was usually not a lady of words, mainly because she was raised that way, but she truthfully enjoyed speaking to the people whom she had never met before. Her parents would often bring some guests over from work, and she would usually spend some time having a friendly conversation with them, before getting scolded by her mother for letting even a word escape her lips. This time, it wasn't a guest, and her mother was not around to lecture her any more; this time, she was _free_.

"My name is Asakura Hao," the boy began, flashing the girl a wide and carefree smile. "If you do not mind, may I know yours?"

"Nawako," Nawako replied. "Fujiwara Nawako."

Hao widened his eyes upon hearing her words. "Fujiwara?" he echoed. "Is that...?"

"I assume you are thinking of my distant relatives," Nawako chuckled lightly. "It is just a name. I am no aristocrat. My line of family is focused on samurai."

Hao nodded slowly in acknowledgement. He had read about the Fujiwara clan in some of his books; they were powerful and highly respected by the people of Nihon during the Heian period. Because of that, it was no surprise to learn that some of the people in the clan had been overwhelmed with their minds of evil and greed. The most popular story would be the one about Lord Michinaga and his son, Yorimichi. Being the cunning and wicked aristocrat that he was, Yorimichi was so intelligent and powerful that he was able to throw his very own father off his throne, leaving the latter to live the rest of his life in shame and disrespect.

But that was a few hundred years ago. Now was the Edo period, where the shogun ruled his lands and his samurai protected the people. The capital of Japan was no longer Heian-kyo; a new capital had been chosen by the shogun, and it was renamed after the era — Edo — and it was also where the shogun's grand palace was located. Although wars and battles were frequent, lives were so much better then as compared to the Heian period, and it was all due to the shogun's officials who performed their duties well.

"I am a samurai, just like my father," Hao blurted suddenly, then very quickly, he added, "I was adopted, but I chose not to drop my original family name."

Nawako nodded. "I was adopted as well," she said. "I do not know who my real parents are. I had no choice but to live as a member of the Fujiwara family, then." Not that she was complaining, of course. Life was going fine for Nawako, since her family hardly faced any hardships.

"What happened to your parents?"

"As of this point, I do not know yet." Nawako frowned. "My step parents told me that they died in a war, but somehow I chose not to believe them. They adopted me when I was still a newborn."

"...How old are you now?" Hao couldn't help asking.

"Four!" Nawako chirped, holding her hand out for Hao to see, in case he hadn't heard her. She had her thumb folded back, so her hand only showed the other four fingers.

Hao furrowed his eyebrows and calculated, when suddenly, his face lit up. "Your birthday is today!"

Nawako nodded excitedly, the wide smile still present on her face. "What about you, Hao?" Hao blinked at the girl, slightly taken aback by the way she addressed him. Perhaps she wasn't used to being around people. He nevertheless remained silent and let her continue; "How old are you?"

"We are technically the same age."

Nawako blinked. "You were born on the Leap Year, as well?"

Hao laughed. "No! I am sixteen. I am four times your age!"

"Oh." Nawako scratched the back of her neck and laughed at her own silliness. How could she forget? Technically, she was also sixteen years old, just like her friend. "I apologise!"

The two then decided to change the subject, and proceeded to talk happily about their families, what they did when they had some time to themselves, and the like. Occasionally, a rabbit or two would pop up by them every now and again, and the teens would often attempt to pet or feed them, which whatever dry leaves they could find. In short, the both of them had a lot of fun together, and enjoyed each other's company thoroughly. To them, this was something extremely hard to come by, since they were rarely spending time with the other kids of the same age.

"It is getting late," Hao noted, as he turned his head up to look at the sky. "Is it fine for you to stay out like this?"

Nawako smiled as she shook her head; she knew all too well that the reason why Hao had asked her such a thing was because young maidens like herself were often forbidden to stay out so late, unless they were a geisha, like her mother. "I want to see the stars," she said, turning her head to the sky, as well. "This will be my first time seeing them from here."

Hao shifted his gaze to the girl and arched his brows, showing genuine surprise. "...I like to come here to see the stars, too," he said. "They are a magnificent sight."

"So I have heard." Nawako grinned. "Let us wait for the stars to come out, shall we?" Nawako focused her gaze on the dark sky, a small smile present on her face. She remained like this for a long while, as if she was really waiting for a miracle to happen.

Smiling all the while, Hao did the same. This wasn't the first time he was sitting by the lake to watch the stars, but tonight, it felt different. Perhaps it was due to the fact that he was watching them with someone he barely even knew — and it was a _girl_, at that. The only other girls that he had seen in the area before this were geisha, and their maiko. This was his first time being with an _actual_ girl.

And to Nawako, it was her first time being with a boy.


End file.
